Excavation / Dirt Calculator
Cubic yards and truckloads of dirt to excavate or fill.
Input sheet
DIY at your own risk. Calcora's calculators and guides are general estimates and information only — not professional, engineering, legal, or safety advice. Always verify local building codes and permit requirements, and hire a licensed pro for electrical, gas, plumbing, structural, or any work you're not fully comfortable doing yourself.
Digging out dirt looks simple until you realize loose soil takes up more space than packed soil — so the volume you haul away is bigger than the hole you dug. This calculator gives you both the in-ground volume and the swelled hauling volume.
How it works
Length × width × depth in feet, divided by 27 for cubic yards. A standard dump truck holds about 10 yards.
In-ground volume is length × width × depth in feet, divided by 27 for cubic yards. Trucking is figured at about 10 yards per standard dump-truck load. The calculator also shows the swelled volume — excavated soil expands roughly 25% once it's dug up and loosened.
That swell factor is why a dumpster or truck fills faster than the hole's measured volume suggests. Plan your hauling around the loose number, not the in-ground number.
Cubic yards = (length × width × (depth ÷ 12)) ÷ 27; truckloads = cubic yards ÷ 10; loose volume = cubic yards × 1.25.
Worked examples
A 20 ft × 12 ft footing dug 12 inches deep. → About 8.9 cubic yards in ground, 11.1 loose.
20 × 12 × 1 = 240 cu ft ÷ 27 ≈ 8.9 yd. Swelled: 8.9 × 1.25 ≈ 11.1 yd, about one full dump-truck load.
A 30 ft × 20 ft pad dug 18 inches deep. → About 33.3 cubic yards in ground, 41.7 loose.
30 × 20 × 1.5 = 900 cu ft ÷ 27 = 33.3 yd. Loose: 33.3 × 1.25 ≈ 41.7 yd, roughly four truckloads.
Tips & gotchas
- Size your hauling around the loose, swelled volume — soil expands about 25% when excavated, so the truck fills faster than the hole's measured size.
- Call before you dig to have underground utilities marked; hitting a gas or fiber line is dangerous and expensive.
- If you're backfilling later, account for the reverse — loose fill compacts down, so you'll need more than the void appears to hold.
- A standard tandem dump truck holds about 10 cubic yards; rent accordingly or stage multiple loads.
FAQ
Why is hauled dirt more than the hole I dug?
Excavated soil swells about 25% as it's broken up and loosened, so it occupies more space than it did packed in the ground. Always plan trucking around the loose volume.
How many cubic yards fit in a dump truck?
A standard tandem dump truck holds roughly 10 cubic yards. Smaller trucks hold less, so confirm the capacity with your hauler when you order.
Does soil type change the swell?
Yes — clay and rock swell more than sandy or loamy soil. The 25% figure is a working average; dense clay can swell 30% or more once excavated.
Related calculators
Concrete Calculator · Paint Calculator · Flooring Calculator · Mulch Calculator · Gravel & Driveway Calculator